April 10, 2013 was the date of the regular meeting of the
Monrovia Planning Commission. The agenda was short—only one hearing—but
the project is an important one. The Commission reviewed a proposal to
construct a 154-unit apartment building with a small non-residential component
on South Fifth Avenue ,
just south of Huntington Drive .
One could say the planning for this project goes back to
2006. That’s when the City began a series of meetings and workshops to
update the General Plan which was ultimately adopted in 2008. The primary
focus of the update created several distinct planning areas to focus future
development: Station Square ,
the South Myrtle Avenue Corridor (Olive
Avenue to I-210) and West Huntington Drive .
Specifically, the west end of West
Huntington was envisioned as a mixed use “village” providing
opportunities for housing, office and retail. Monrovia had big plans! Then the Great
Recession hit and development hit the proverbial wall.
The region is definitely on an upswing and this is one of
the first proposals out of the gate. There are many approvals needed for
this project which is spelled out in detail in the staff report, specific plan,
and environmental documents and studies. But what most people want to
know is what it is going to look like. Right? So here it is.
During the public hearing, no one spoke with concerns about
the project. The Planning Commission had a very thoughtful discussion about
the project including the parking, traffic and potential uses in the commercial
space at the north corner of the building. At the close of the hearing,
the Commission voted to recommend approval of this application to the City
Council. The City Council is scheduled to review the proposal on May 21.
